Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II 2015 Review

It's evolution rather than revolution at Rolls-Royce with the launch of the Ghost II. Indeed, the changes are so minor that you nearly need to park the two ‘generations’ side-by-side to spot them. Rolls-Royce describes the update as a “subtle redesign”.

Ghost II's reshaped LED headlights are the most obvious difference, and are more than just an aesthetic change, with a default auto setting that deflects light away from oncoming vehicles on high beam and, when required, also responds to steering inputs.

The other design change is a “wake channel” emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy's wingtips along the top of the bonnet.

Less obvious for the uninitiated are the reshaping of the front bumpers, chrome inserts on larger air intakes for feeding extra cooling air to the front brakes, and the line along the side (what RR calls the 'waft line') reprofiled with a more forward-leaning aspect.

Inside there are changes too, including a bit more bling on the dials – supposedly to evoke “the precision design of hand-made, luxury wristwatches”. My Seiko looked right at home.

A new rotary controller features a depiction of the Spirit of Ecstasy in crystal, with a touch sensitive surface to enter characters to the BMW iDrive based electronics. As with the BMW system, it's something that works reasonably well on left-hand-drive cars, but is a bit more tricky for we right-handed types driving on the other side.

You could complain about the obvious provenance of the system, but a niche builder like Rolls-Royce wouldn't have the resources to develop such a system without outside help and unless you're already accustomed to the BMW system it's unlikely to make much of a difference to you.

What may make a difference are front seats that have been reshaped and now offer electrically adjustable thigh support for a little more support when cornering enthusiastically. No, really…

The redesigned rear seats offer three-level heating and recline function as standard and an optional massage function.

These two, somewhat contradictory elements of this facelift are perhaps the most telling about Ghost customers.

Rolls-Royce representatives claim the Ghost is often used as a chauffeur-driven conveyance during the business week, and as a self-driven vehicle on weekends. They also describe Ghost customers as business men and women, entrepreneurs, and captains of industry. Thus, if you're wondering who buys a Ghost rather than a Phantom you're answer may lie here: Ghost customers are not the idle rich.

If a buyer chooses to actually steer the Ghost themselves (as is the case with almost all Australian buyers, Rolls-Royce says), they now have the option of a Dynamic Driving Package which offers a sharper steering ratio, redesigned front and rear struts, and adjusted dampers for a 'significant' increase in cornering ability and better feedback through a thicker-rimmed steering wheel.

The company claims this all comes with no compromise to ride quality, though we suspect if that were the case there would be no call to make it optional. The test car was not equipped with this package, so I can't say for sure.

In this instance then, the fine rim of the steering wheel is one of the first things you notice as you climb into the driver's seat. The highly-assisted steering offers precious little feedback too.

The ride quality over Hong Kong's reasonably smooth roads was faultless, however. I'm unsure there is a better word to describe it as ‘waft’.

Cornering in a tall, softly-sprung 2435kg monster is predictably defined by lean angles. Bends are something tackled by necessity, rather than choice. But that doesn't mean there is no joy in taking the wheel yourself.

Carried over unchanged from the Series I Ghost is the 420kW, 780Nm, 6.6-litre V12 engine that is claimed to propel the car to 100km/h in 4.9sec. Even if you know it has this capability, it never fails to surprise when you sink the right pedal into the plush carpet.

The eight-speed ZF transmission is carried over from Ghost I, though with the addition of the satellite navigation function from the Wraith that uses GPS mapping data to help ensure the correct ratio is being used. It sounds impressive, but I have to take the company's word for it.

In any case the transmission does the job required of it with almost imperceptible shifts, though it sometimes changes its mind about what ratio is required on kick down. Assuming your driver has been properly trained (Rolls-Royce helpfully offers a White Glove training program in appropriate markets), however, that should never be a concern.

The Ghost actually does deliver on its promise as a chauffeur-driven vehicle. It has the ride refinement and it has the space to spread out – even in standard wheelbase configuration – though the rear passenger compartment is best suited for two passengers.

And it is a Rolls-Royce, so the build quality and craftsmanship is on a level that you have to see (and feel) to appreciate. From the flawless paintwork to the meeting points of chrome and wood and myriad other details, the Ghost II lives up to its brand promise.

In Hong Kong, with its long history of having the highest Rolls-Royce ownership per-capita, the Ghost seemed to barely raise a second glance. This may or may not disappoint owners, depending on their outlook.

If flashy ostentation is your aim, probably a Phantom and a degree of colour blindness when specifying it will achieve that with greater ease.

Rolls-Royce APAC boss Paul Harris told motoring.com.au that 100 per cent of Rolls-Royces destined Down Under leave the factory with some bespoke work. Given that’s the case, you should treat the Ghost II’s $545,000 pricetag as a starting point.

Rolls Royce dubs the Phantom “the best car in the world”, thus the Ghost will always live with the stigma of being second best. It is, however, a very impressive car in its own right.

Whether continued evolution like this will keep it ahead of aspiring competitors is another story…

Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II pricing and specifications:
Price: $545,000 (drive-away)
Engine: 6.6-litre,V12 turbo-petrol
Output: 420kW/780Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.0L/100km
CO2: 327g/km
Safety rating: Employ a bodyguard…